The Trading Post | 07.17.25

Good morning,

TSMC delivered blowout earnings (AI semis remain undefeated), Trump’s Powell drama sparked a rate cut repricing, Netflix reports tonight with a sky-high bar, EU bracing for Trump’s August 1 tariff hammer, and banks just flexed with massive Q2 trading revenues.

Skip the hours of market research and let AI do the heavy lifting with Wealth Builders HQ's free collection of 10 professionally-crafted trading prompts. 

Let’s jump in.

Pre-Market Performance

As of 07.16.25 market close.

Market News

• TSMC’s AI-fueled Q2 crushed expectations, with profit up 60.7% and revenue growth now pegged at 30% for 2025. Strong margins and 3nm dominance hint the AI chip boom isn’t done yet. Reuters

• Trump’s “maybe I’ll fire Powell, maybe I won’t” stunt sparked a 66% spike in September rate cut odds—before he “walked it back.” VIX held steady at 17, but bonds are twitchy. CNBC

• Netflix earnings on deck. Consensus calls for $11B in rev and $7.09 EPS, but with a 40% YTD run, it’s walking a highwire over shark-infested valuation waters. Yahoo Finance

• EU panic mode: Trump’s 30% tariff threat becomes real on August 1. Eurozone leaders scrambling for last-minute mercy while US-focused companies quietly pop champagne. CNN

• Banks crushed Q2 expectations. JPM +15%, Citi +16%, GS +22%, MS +18% on trading revenue. The Fed pause didn't kill earnings—it juiced NIM and trading desks partied. Nasdaq

A Message From Wealth Builders HQ

Supercharge Your Trading Research with AI 

The markets move fast, and manual research can eat up precious trading hours. That's why the team at Wealth Builders HQ developed something game-changing: 10 AI-powered trading prompts that deliver institutional-quality market analysis in minutes, not hours. 

These aren't generic ChatGPT questions. Each prompt was crafted by veteran traders and coaches with over 100 years of combined market experience. They're designed to extract the exact information you need to make better trading decisions across stocks, options, and futures. 

What you'll get: 

• Market sentiment analysis for key stocks and sectors 

• Critical Fed updates and economic indicator insights 

• High-probability trading opportunity identification 

• Unusual options activity alerts 

• Emerging sector analysis 

• Earnings impact assessments 

Whether you're analyzing market sentiment before the open, spotting unusual options flow, or identifying emerging sector rotations, these prompts save you hours of research while delivering actionable insights. 

The best part? They're completely free.  

All trading involves risk of loss. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always confirm information from AI-generated research.  

Earnings We’re Watching

• Abbott (ABT) - Thursday (BMC) 

• Cintas Corporation (CTAS) - Thursday (BMC) 

• Citizens Financial Group Inc (CFG) - Thursday (BMC) 

• PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) - Thursday (BMC) 

• Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV) - Thursday (BMC) 

• Interactive Brokers Group Inc (IBKR) - Thursday (AMC) 

• Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) - Thursday (AMC) 

Trade Ideas

Want to learn how we trade these? Learn the setup we call the “High Volatility Switchback” trade.

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Daily Moment of Zen

Why It Matters:

Let’s be honest—if markets rewarded IQ points, half of Wall Street wouldn’t be getting pantsed by retail traders with anime avatars and a Robinhood account. The truth is, markets are an emotional battlefield, and your biggest opponent stares back at you in the mirror. FOMO, revenge trading, holding losers because “they’ll come back,” and selling winners because you “want to lock in gains”? All signs that emotional discipline took a lunch break. Intelligence helps, but without control, it just means you’ll construct very articulate excuses for your bad decisions.

Trade less emotionally. Or the market will teach you why.